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The players were criticized for not ‘kneeling’ before a recent series against England as other sports teams had done after George Floyd’s death in the United States earlier in the year.
South African players, the Proteas, raised their fists in an anti-racist gesture at the start of their two-test series against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Centurion, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Image: @ OfficialCSA / Twitter
CENTURION – South African players raised their fists Saturday in an anti-racism gesture at the start of their two-test series against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Centurion, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The team released a statement saying that the players had repeatedly declared their support for the campaign against racial injustice and “wanted to own our trip.”
The players were criticized for not “kneeling” before a recent series against England, as other sports teams had done after George Floyd’s death in the United States earlier in the year.
The statement said the decision to show a raised fist was made “through a process of deep democracy” to be appropriate in a South African context.
“The raised fist is a powerful gesture in our own history, as expressed in the iconic images of Nelson and Winnie Mandela of Mandela’s release from prison in 1990. In this context, it was a powerful gesture of triumph, an acknowledgment of the fight against apartheid and the commitment to continue fighting for equality, justice and freedom, while respecting the religious and cultural responsibilities of each member of our team. “
The statement noted that the raised fist has a long history within the civil rights movement, which included the gesture of American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos during a medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
“We recognize the historical and political connotations of the raised fist as a gesture of permanent solidarity in the fight for racial justice and work against racism. Therefore, we stand united and raise our fists as a gesture of solidarity and commitment to continue the work of pursuing racial justice in our lives. “
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